


I Love You Most

by unspokenfaith



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Horror, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Ouija board because why not, Past Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Past Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Post-Season/Series 03, Suspense, and yes Gwen is an OC, basically everyone is mad at Jughead for various reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-05-31 13:49:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19427239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unspokenfaith/pseuds/unspokenfaith
Summary: Veronica was hoping to have a relaxing weekend with her friends the summer before senior year. But with Betty and Jughead’s recent break-up, as well as the tension between Jughead and the other Serpents, she begins to think that it wasn’t the best idea, especially when there seems to be an unexpected visitor in the Lodges’ lake house.





	1. The Spirit That Dwells

**Author's Note:**

> The creepy cabin in the woods trope is one of my favorites, so I wanted to have this story be not only one with angst and tension between a lot of the characters, but also one where they're off on their own and have to figure out how to work together. Plus, paranormal activity is pretty much the only threat we haven't seen in Riverdale so I thought that would be fun too.
> 
> Also, just a heads up that this might be rated M as it continues, depending on how graphic the horror parts of it get.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_A piercing scream echoes across the lake as the girl’s body hit the water. Her head resurfaces not a moment later and she squeals in delight. Loud. Innocent._ Euphonic. _The rush of the first jump. She waves her arms around, secured in pink floaties, to catch someone’s attention_ _—_ _the woman on the dock wearing sunglasses, a large sun hat, and an amused smile. She temporarily puts down her magazine to clap, much to the young girl’s satisfaction._

_The girl beams, flashing her tiny teeth, before searching the shoreline anxiously. Waiting. Soon a man in a suit appeared, cell phone glued to his ear and eyes on his watch. He makes his way over to the woman in the hat, still chattering away. A work call, presumably. Even with her sunglasses on, it isn’t hard to decipher the woman’s annoyance. The way she crosses her arms, looking up at him like this isn’t the first time this has happened. Nor would it be the last. The girl’s eyes are wide, sad, as she waits impatiently for him to notice her victory._

_After a while, the man disappears back into the house without so much as a word to either, and the girl hoists herself back up on to the dock, defeated. She wraps a towel around herself, clinging to it like it would protect her from embarrassment and neglect._

_And as she combs her hands through her raven hair, glancing back at the house, it becomes abundantly clear that she is a girl_ _—_ _a special girl_ _—_ _who craves love._

_I hope I can give that to her someday._

* * *

**Veronica**

“Remind me to check the app to see what your ghost’s name is,” Gwen said, her acrylic nails tapping on the screen of her phone. “If it’s friendly.”

Veronica smiled at Betty and Kevin in the rearview mirror. You only had to talk to Gwen for less than five minutes to know she was a paranormal fanatic. _The Conjuring, Buzzfeed Unsolved,_ ghost stories or possession encounters of any kind —you name it. Veronica found it rather off-putting at first. It wasn’t exactly what she was expecting, working with a girl from school at _Pop’s_ —let alone from Pop’s granddaughter—when they were serving burgers and milkshakes. But it soon became a welcome distraction from, well, anything else going on in Riverdale that wasn’t paranormal activity. 

That’s why she knew when she invited Gwen to the lake house for the weekend, she wouldn’t refuse. Gwen couldn’t have said “yes” any faster. 

Even though Veronica was Gwen’s only connection to the group attending, aside from maybe Betty and Kevin now, she had faith her co-worker would quickly get along with everyone else. She was easier to like than most. 

“I don’t want to get your hopes up. There might not be any ghosts there at all,” Veronica said.

Gwen dropped her phone on her lap, giving her a look. “Uh, a lake house in the deep, dark woods in the middle of nowhere? There’s a ghost, okay?” 

“I’d believe it,” Betty said. “Do you know who lived there before, V?”

“No idea, actually. Mom said something about a young couple once, but I don’t know how long ago that was,” Veronica explained. “I don’t want to shut down all the speculation, but I was kind of hoping this would just be a normal, relaxing weekend. You know, demonic-spirit-free and all.”

Betty leaned forward with her chin on Veronica’s seat, and whispered, “But what if it’s a nice spirit?”

“Thank you!” Gwen said, and Kevin laughed.

Veronica rolled her eyes, smiling, as she made the final turn and the lake house came into view. Two cars—Archie’s and Cheryl’s—and Jughead’s motorcycle were already parked in front. Apparently they were the last to arrive.

Gwen gasped loudly, rolling the window down to get a better look. “Holy shit, girl! You call that a cabin? There’s definitely a ghost in there.” 

“Did I say it was a cabin?” Veronica teased.

“I don’t think her parents even know what a cabin is,” Kevin said. 

She parked next to Archie’s truck just as he and Reggie emerged. Veronica smiled at the sight of her boyfriend, barely turning the car off before hopping out and running over and jumping on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.

“Hey, you.” Reggie smiled, pecking her on the lips.

“Hi,” she said. “How was the drive? How’d you guys get here first, anyway?” She looked between Reggie and Archie, who was already hauling bags out of the back of the truck. 

“Wow, someone’s in a hurry,” Veronica said.

Archie paused, wiping his forehead. “Hey, I’ll get yours too if you want.”

She smiled. “What a gentleman.”

Veronica could not have been more grateful that she and Archie were able to move past the awkward post-break-up-now-I’m-dating-your-friend-phase, if they even had one at all. They seemed to be on the same page—moving on, rekindling a friendship, being amicable about the whole thing. She wished the same could be said about others on the trip. 

Jughead wandered over, noticeably eyeing Betty, who was helping Archie take bags out of Veronica’s car. She was Betty’s best friend, and even she didn’t know all the details that led to the break-up. Definitely having something to do with their mutual brother, Charles. Also definitely having something to do with the all the peace they’ve enjoyed over the past few months giving Betty a new perspective. What she _did_ know was that it was a long time coming, and she never would’ve told Betty when they were still together, but she was never too fond of the pair anyway. 

But Betty was fine, happy in fact, and that’s all Veronica really cared about.

“Need a hand there, guys?” Jughead asked.

Betty and Archie turned around, Archie glancing at her, trying to get a read on the situation. If Veronica thought she knew little, he must’ve really felt like he was in the dark. 

“We’re fine, Jughead. Thanks,” Betty said, hauling out the last of the suitcases. 

Kevin already found Fangs by Cheryl’s car, the pair sitting on the hood and holding hands. Sweet Pea scanned the woods, arms crossed, as though he were expecting something to jump out and attack. With everything that happened over the past couple of years, Veronica couldn’t really blame him. 

Cheryl sighed, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head. “I’m baking out here. Can we _please_ go inside before I get skin cancer?” 

“Did you forget to put sunscreen on, babe?” Toni asked.

“I didn’t _forget_. It was a conscious decision,” Cheryl replied. “My skin needs to breathe.” She folded her arms, looking at Veronica expectantly.

“What?” Veronica asked.

“Aren’t you going to let us in?”

“I told you there was a key under one of the pots.”

“Yeah, and we didn’t find one,” Cheryl said. 

“Really? That’s weird. I thought my mom left one last time we were here.” Veronica lifted each of the pots by the front steps, finding Cheryl to be right—no key. She must’ve forgotten to put one there. 

“Well, I brought one anyway.” She pulled the key out of her pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open. “Okay, so make yourselves at home. There are four bedrooms upstairs, and the couch down here is a pull out, so there should be plenty of room for everyone.” She turned around to find Kevin and Gwen gaping, while Betty, Archie, and Jughead were already sitting down in the living room. 

Cheryl came in, with a passive, “Kevin, Gwen,” as she walked between them. For whatever reason, that seemed to catch Sweet Pea’s attention.

“Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met,” he said to Gwen. “Gwen, right?”

Toni and Fangs looked at each other, smirking. 

“Yeah…” Gwen studied him for a second. “Have I seen you somewhere? Like at Pop’s or something?”

Sweet Pea laughed. _Laughed._ “Yeah, I’ve been in a few times.”

Gwen raised an eyebrow at him. “And...your name?”

“Oh...right, yeah, I’m Sweet Pea.”

“Cool name.” She smiled.

“Okay, well, I’m bringing my stuff upstairs. I’ll be right back,” Veronica said, grabbing her bags. 

Reggie started to follow her. “I’ll come with you.”

With Sweet Pea striking up a conversation with Gwen, Jughead casually whipping out his typewriter—the same one Betty got him, which seemed in poor taste—and everyone else either unpacking or deciding on sleeping arrangements, Veronica had a feeling it didn’t matter if they took their time.

“Was this a bad idea?” she asked, once they were at the top of the stairs. 

Reggie frowned. “What happened to ‘this will be a nice break?’”

Veronica sighed, sitting down on her bed. “I know, but….Betty….Jughead...the Serpents...You can’t tell me you don’t think something could go wrong there.”

“So? Not our problem.” He sat down next to her, and she laid her head on his shoulder. “It’s not your fault Betty and Jughead broke up. And the Serpents can figure their own shit out. I’d say the only thing you did wrong was inviting Jughead. He seems to be the source of both problems.”

“Hey!” She hit his arm lightly. “I didn’t think he would actually come.”

“Yeah, why did he come?”

Veronica shrugged. “Beats me. So are you sleeping in here?”

“Depends. Am I invited?” Reggie smirked.

“Always,” she said. “You can put your stuff in that closet there if you want. Sorry it’s kind of a mess.”

She fell back on the bed, as Reggie got up to open the closet. He shuffled some things around to make room for his bag, then paused, laughing. 

“What is so funny?” she demanded.

He poked his head out from the closet, grinning and holding two pink floaties. “These yours?”

“Yes…and? You never had those when you were learning how to swim?” 

“Oh, sure, pretend like you don’t still use these.”

“Shut up!” Veronica grabbed a pillow and threw it at his head, but he was still laughing.

Reggie ceremoniously held out his arm, sliding one floaty on his arm, and then the other. “How do I look?”

“Like you’re finally ready to go swimming. Aww, Reggie, I’m so proud of you.” 

“You are….” 

“I am what?” She smiled teasingly.

He tackled her on to her back, and she screamed louder than she meant to, then fell into a fit of laughter as she tried to push Reggie off, but couldn’t seem to fight off the pink floaty arms. When he kissed her, she gave up completely, allowing him to move down to her neck. 

As she closed her eyes, she heard the words, “I love you” come out of her mouth. She didn’t think she said it out loud, but she must’ve, because Reggie stopped and looked into her eyes.

“What did you just—”

The window closed with a loud thud, and they both jumped up. She took Reggie’s hand instinctively, and maybe because she was a tiny bit afraid.

Veronica didn’t remember opening the window in the first place.

* * *

**Betty**

“What was that?” Betty asked, looking up at the stairs.

“Are you really asking that question, Betty?” Cheryl draped her legs across Toni’s lap. “If you want to go up there and interrupt them, then be my guest.”

“Gladly,” Jughead interjected, rolling his eyes. He was still clicking on his typewriter, and Betty still couldn’t decide if she was bothered that he brought it here, but it did make her wonder why he came at all.

Ever since they broke up, it became increasingly clear that Betty was Jughead’s only tie to everyone else. Even his friendship with Archie had fallen apart over the past couple of years. As he proclaimed almost every day, Jughead was a loner, and he seemed to like it that way. Maybe it was the constant thought of college, life after high school—the future—or maybe it was a simple matter of a difference in perspective—maybe both—but it only took Betty a month of solitude to realize he just wasn’t what she needed. Or wanted.

Betty thought she made a big mistake that night when he came over to her house—when Jughead stormed out and she couldn’t sleep when she spent hours crying into her pillow. She couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe she was throwing away something good. 

Then a text from Archie popped up on her phone. 

_Hey, you ok? Your light is still on._

When she glanced over at the window, she realized it was still open. He heard her crying. Who knows what else he heard before that. 

_I’m fine._

_Go to the window._

She did her best to wipe the tears off her face, but she was sure her eyes were still red. When she walked over to the window, she saw Archie holding a stuffed bear—the one she made for him in fifth grade. At the time she thought it was her proudest moment, but looking at it now, the button eyes lopsided on its face, and the fabric barely holding together, it looked more like something out of a horror film. She couldn’t believe he still had it.

Betty laughed, and even though she felt like a complete wreck, she slept soundly after that. She held onto that ever since. 

“Can you turn that thing off?” Sweet Pea asked, referring to the loud clicking of the typewriter. He said what Betty was thinking.

“Sweet Pea, I’m trying to write a novel here. If it’s bothering you, just go somewhere else,” Jughead said, his eyes glued to the piece of paper slowly emerging.

“Why the hell did you even come if you’re just going to be all Edgar Allan Poe in the corner there?” 

Jughead scoffed. “Poe was a poet, Sweet Pea. I’m a novelist.”

“Actually, not that this really matters, but he wrote stories, too,” Toni said. Next to her, Fangs laughed to himself.

Betty looked at Archie, who seemed to be just as amused as everyone else, and then he caught her eye. She couldn’t help but smile too.

“Okay!” Kevin stood up, clapping his hands together. “Why don’t we all play a game or something?”

“Ooh, good idea! Is there a Oujia board in here?” Gwen scanned the room eagerly. 

“Uh, is that really a good idea?” Archie asked.

“Are you kidding? This is the perfect setting for it,” Kevin said, helping Gwen look in all the drawers and cabinets. 

“Actually…” For the first time since arriving, Jughead stopped clicking and turned to face everyone. “This is probably the _worst_ possible place you could play it. We’re pretty much in the middle of nowhere.”

“Who gives a fu—” But Sweet Pea was interrupted by Gwen.

“Look...Jughead, right? I don’t know what your deal is, but we’re just trying to have fun. If you don’t want to play, that’s fine. No one’s stopping you.”

Everyone stared at her. Sweet Pea’s eyes were especially wide. It was oddly refreshing to see someone—particularly someone who barely knew Jughead—put him in his place. 

Jughead frowned, but said nothing as he resumed typing. 

“Found it!” Kevin shouted, holding up the Ouija box. 

“Yes! I’ll go get Veronica and Reggie,” Gwen said, running upstairs. She returned with the pair a minute later, both of them visibly disheveled. Veronica was fixing her hair while Reggie straightened his shirt. Betty gave Veronica a knowing smile.

“Is everyone playing?” Archie asked.

“Yeah, what’s wrong? Scared, Andrews?” Sweet Pea smirked.

“I mean, kind of. I’ve heard a lot of stories.”

“Your girlfriend can protect you,” Gwen said, eyeing Betty. Jughead stopped, shooting a look in Betty and Archie’s direction.

“Um, Gwen, we’re not…” Betty gestured between her and Archie.

“Yeah, it’s not…” Archie laughed nervously.

“Chill. It was a joke.” Gwen sat down on the floor and opened the game box. “Does someone want to turn the lights off?”

“Got it,” Fangs said, flipping the switch. 

Betty hated the growing unease in her stomach.

“If we die, I’m killing all of you,” Cheryl said. 

Gwen brushed the board off. “Damn this thing is old.”

“That adds to the vibe,” Kevin said, setting down the white planchette on the board. “Who wants to do the honors?”

“I will!” Gwen was a little too excited to talk to spirits. She placed her hand on the planchette, waiting. 

Everyone leaned forward, staring at the board. Gwen’s hand stayed in the same place, not even budging the slightest.

Sweet Pea groaned. “What, are they asleep? Wake up, whatever your name is!”

“Shh!” Gwen reached back her other hand to Sweet Pea’s leg, which seemed to be enough to shut him up. “You don’t want to make them mad.”

For a split second, the chandelier hanging over the table flickered. Gwen’s hand started to move. Kevin grabbed a piece of paper and pen, watching. 

“He….” Gwen began sounding it out.

“Spirit says ‘hello,’” Kevin said. 

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “That’s _it_?”

“It’s moving again!” Fangs pointed at the board, and everyone was silent again.

This word—or sentence—was much longer, too long for Gwen to sound it out on her own. Betty already forgot what the first few letters were. 

“Someone will…” Kevin kept scribbling.

“Oh, God….” Gwen’s face fell.

Kevin lowered the piece of paper, staring at the board wide-eyed. 

“What did it say?” Archie asked, trying to peak over Kevin’s shoulder. 

“Someone will die tonight,” Kevin said, eyes still glued to the board, as though he were waiting for the spirit to take it back.

Cheryl burst into laughter. “Seriously? ‘Someone will die tonight?’ How many times have they used that one?”

“Cheryl…” Toni placed her hand on her girlfriend’s arm. 

“What? Toni, you don’t actually believe this thing, do you? It’s a _game_. A game that’s meant to scare people.”

“Yeah, I don’t know, guys…” Archie said. “‘Hello. Someone will die tonight?’ Sounds kind of automated.”

“Let’s just put the game away,” Betty said, sensing this was going to be blown out of proportion.

“You don’t want to know more?” Gwen asked. “Maybe they’re trying to warn us.”

“ _Or_ someone’s going to get killed by a demon tonight,” Kevin pointed out.

“Okay, this is ridiculous! I’m going upstairs.” Cheryl rose from the couch, and went upstairs without another word. 

“Cheryl, come on!” Toni shouted, eventually following her.

Gwen said goodbye to the spirit and put the game away, much to her and Kevin’s disappointment. 

“Well, that was fun while it lasted,” Sweet Pea said. “Goodnight...if I see you all in the morning.”

“Okay, that’s enough! No one is dying!” Veronica insisted, but judging by the alarm in her eyes, she probably didn’t even believe herself.

“Hey, not that I particularly give a damn, but where’s Jughead?” Fangs asked. 

Betty turned around. The typewriter sat by itself on the table. She didn’t even realized the clicking had stopped. Jughead was nowhere in sight. 

“He must’ve gone outside,” Archie said. “I’ll go see if he’s okay.”

“Wait!” Betty yelled, and he stopped in his tracks. She met him at the door. “I’ll come with you.”

For a moment Archie looked at her like he was going to protest, but then he nodded. “Okay.”

“We’ll be right back,” Betty informed everyone else.

She wouldn’t have been that concerned about going out to the woods in the middle of the night, but Veronica’s pleading look made her tense.

Betty tried not to think about the possibility that she and Archie could be longer than just a few minutes.


	2. The Body Double

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archie and Betty search the woods, but instead of finding Jughead they meet someone they haven’t seen in a while. Cheryl has had enough of the paranormal talk, refusing to engage in the idea that the lake house is unsafe. After coming across something she can’t quite explain, she begins to think maybe they should be afraid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing both Archie and Cheryl in this chapter, especially with Cheryl kind of being the Nancy Drew, since we usually see that from Betty.
> 
> The final chapter might be a little longer with everyone finally figuring out what's happening.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Archie**

After searching the perimeter of the lake house for nearly half an hour, he and Betty came to the conclusion that Jughead’s departure wasn’t intentional. But it also wouldn’t have been uncharacteristic for him to go off on his own when he was upset. Either way, he was somewhere deep in the woods by now, and they weren’t about to give up just yet.

If Archie had known how long they would be out here and how far they were going, he would’ve brought something to mark their path so they could easily find their way back, but by the time he thought of it, it was too late to go back. He figured as long as they traveled in a straight line they would be okay. Hopefully that’s what they had been doing.

They couldn’t think about that now though, not before finding Jughead at least.

He was surprised Betty was so eager to come along. Archie always thought that after the way things ended between them she never really wanted anything to do with him anymore. They barely spoke to each other since the night of the break-up, which he heard every word of through his bedroom window. Betty was the one to do it, yet she cried for hours that night. He couldn’t understand why. Sure, they dated for a long time, but considering the circumstances leading up to their separation, he couldn’t see what made him worth her tears. But maybe that was easier for him to say than for Betty to believe.

Archie had his own qualms with Jughead lately, particularly the way he reacted to the break-up, but he still wasn’t going to let him get lost in the middle of nowhere. 

“You know what this reminds me of?” Archie interrupted the long silence.

Betty didn’t break focus. “What?”

“That time in Ms. Williams’s class when we went on that field trip to the nature reserve and—”

“Oh, God.” Betty shook her head, laughing. “I shouldn’t even be laughing. That was terrifying.”

“Come on, that was funny!”

“To _you_ maybe,” Betty said. “I had nightmares for weeks, and it was all your fault.”

“ _Me_? What did I do?”

“You got us lost! I wanted to stay with the group and you convinced me we would find something cooler on our own.”

Archie laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But we did find cooler stuff.”

She turned around, giving him a look. “Oh, really? Like what?”

“Frogs?” He shrugged. “And hey, I was your knight in shining armor that day, remember? You thought that squirrel was going to kill you. You’re lucky I was there.”

“My hero,” Betty teased, but she smiled, and her eyes were bright—almost shining. It was the same look he had seen since they were kids, but something about it now made his heart flutter. 

Maybe it was the full moon, or maybe it was the fact that they were alone with nothing better to do, but he asked without really thinking, “Betty, do you still love Jughead?”

Her smile faded, and just as she was about to respond, Archie retracted his question. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said, sighing. “I don’t. I haven’t always been sure, but things are just...different now. And now that we’re broken up, sometimes I feel like….I don’t know, like….”

“Like you never did?” 

Betty looked him in the eyes. “Yeah...is that bad?”

Archie shook his head. “I think when you know, you know.”

Her gaze was so intense, he thought that maybe, just for a moment…

They were interrupted by a loud thud, a body hitting the ground.

Betty gripped his arm. “Arch, what was—”

“Shhh,” Archie said quietly and put his hand on top of hers. This was beginning to feel more like the field trip than he originally thought. Only this time he didn’t think it was a squirrel. 

He looked around for something to use as a weapon—a stick, a large rock, anything—as a small figure approached them, crunching the leaves beneath their feet.

Betty moved, shielding him with her body and facing the direction of whatever was coming towards them.

“Betty, don’t—”

Archie thought he had to be imagining things when the figure emerged from the shadows and into the moonlight.

“ _Ricky_?”

“Ricky _Dee_ ,” the younger boy corrected.

Archie blinked, not entirely sure how to respond to the kid who stabbed him in the gut. 

“Wait...Ricky as in…” Betty looked between the two.

“Yeah, Ricky who almost killed me.”

Ricky groaned. “Do I have to do that again? It’s Ricky _Dee._ ”

Archie held his arms up defensively. “Okay, okay. Sorry, Ricky Dee.” But then he wondered why he was apologizing.

“I’m sorry, but...what is going on?” Betty asked.

“Good question,” Archie said, turning to the boy. “What are you doing in the middle of the woods?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ricky Dee pointed out, and Betty rolled her eyes.

“Looking for someone.” Archie crossed his arms. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Ricky Dee shrugged. “Look, dude, I’m just chilling.”

Betty caught Archie’s eye, and they both reacted at the same time. “Just _chilling_?”

“You mean to say you’re in the woods in the middle of the night just to...hang out?” Betty asked.

“And? What’s your point?”

Archie sighed. “Okay, seriously, kid. Have you seen Jughead?”

Ricky Dee’s eyes widened. “ _Jughead_? What’s he up to now?”

“Nothing,” Betty said. “He’s lost...we think.”

“You don’t sound too sure about that,” Ricky Dee sneered.

Archie grabbed him by the jacket, and he squirmed, trying to free himself. 

“You’re going to show us where he is.”

Ricky Dee laughed. “I already told you. I know nothing about where Jugface, or whatever his name is—”

“Explain what you’re doing out here then,” Archie said. 

He looked from Archie to Betty then back to Archie, sighing. “Fine, I’ll do it. Can you let me go?”

Betty stepped forward. “Arch, are you sure this is a good idea? He doesn’t seem…”

“He’s our best bet right now. Besides, he’s not going to try anything,” Archie reasoned.

“What makes you so…” Ricky Dee was feeling around for something in his pocket, panicking when he couldn’t seem to find it. 

Archie held up a blade he pulled off him. “Looking for this?” He handed it back to Betty, who seemed reluctant at first, but she took it anyway and pointed it in Ricky Dee’s direction.

“Go.”

Ricky Dee rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah I’m going,” then in a lower voice, “This is so stupid.” 

They let him wander ahead, but not too far ahead, while he tried to settle on a direction for them to travel in. Meanwhile, Betty and Archie hung back, just enough to be out of earshot. 

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Betty said.

“What, him?”

“Not just that, but _this_.” She gestured around them at the woods. “We shouldn’t have gone this far. I mean, would Jughead really have come all the way out here?”

“Maybe not,” Archie said, looking at Ricky Dee. “Unless someone took him.”

“But what’s his motive?”

“I don’t know, but we know what he’s capable of.”

“I can hear you!” Ricky Dee interjected. “If you want me to help, you’ll have to be nice to me.”

“We don’t _have_ to do anything.” Betty held the knife up again, which led him to turn back around and keep walking. 

“You’re all going to regret this,” he muttered. 

Having completely lost any concept of time, the group wandered for a while. It could’ve been an hour, maybe two, maybe half the night. No one said anything for a long time. Ricky Dee ran out of smart comments he thought no one else heard, and Betty and Archie were determined to keep an eye on him. 

Eventually, they approached the edge of the lake. It was beautiful here, the way the moon reflected on the water and the crickets chirped quietly from every direction, filling what would’ve been an eerie silence. Archie wished they could enjoy it properly from Veronica’s lake house, but there was time for that later.

“Can we stop for a minute? I’m tired,” Ricky Dee complained.

Archie looked at Betty and she nodded.

“Fine,” Archie said. “But only for a minute. And we’re still keeping an eye on you.”

A minute turned into at least ten while Betty and Archie took the opportunity to sit down and rest. Ricky Dee walked along the shoreline, kicking pebbles into the water. Betty wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees, looking up at the sky. She almost looked surreal from where he sat, with the moon shining in her eyes. She didn’t look cold, but a large part of him wanted to hold her anyway.

Fortunately—or maybe not—Ricky Dee waved his arms and yelled, “Uh, guys, you might want to come here.”

They both shot up and rushed over to where Ricky Dee was standing.

“What is it?” Archie asked.

“Arch.” Betty grabbed his arm, looking down at the water. 

He wasn’t sure how he missed it before as they came over, but a body lied under the water, face down and covered in blood. Ricky Dee walked in and bent down, turning the body over. 

“Oh my, God.” Betty hid her face in Archie’s shoulder, and he already felt a tear.

It seemed impossible, but there she was. Covered in fresh stab wounds, Veronica was motionless at the bottom of the lake.

* * *

**Cheryl**

“Hey, guys! False alarm. Jughead’s back,” Kevin yelled up the stairs. 

Cheryl and Toni had been hiding out in one of the bedrooms, waiting for everything to blow over. After Jughead, who became Serpent King in all but five minutes of being a Serpent, kicked Fangs and Toni out of the gang, there wasn’t a lot of forgiveness going around. Cheryl couldn’t blame them either. She was exiled, too, but it was much more personal for Toni and Fangs, who were born and raised Serpents. 

As someone who never cared either way for Jughead, Cheryl couldn’t understand why he came at all. Going on a relaxing weekend trip with your ex and a group of people who despised you didn’t sound appealing. But truthfully, she didn’t care why he was here. She was happy to get away from some time. Unfortunately, the relaxation part didn’t last too long.

“He really had everyone worried about him over nothing,” Toni said, rolling her eyes. “And they’re still out there in the woods somewhere looking for him.”

“Shouldn’t we go find them?” Cheryl asked.

Toni shook her head. “They could be anywhere by now. There’s no point in getting everyone else lost too.” She took Cheryl’s hand, locking their fingers together. “They have each other. They’ll be okay.”

Cheryl smiled, pressing her lips to Toni’s then falling back on the bed. “This is so not what I was expecting from this weekend.”

Toni raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Okay, I guess I’m not that surprised. But we couldn’t have just one weekend, or even one _day_?”

“Hey, like you said, this could be nothing,” Toni said. “It’s just a game, right?”

Cheryl gave her a look. “You think someone’s going to die, don’t you?”

“I don’t know...maybe? I’ve never played Ouija before, but it seems kind of serious. Don’t you think with everything else that’s happened it isn’t really that...out there?”

“I guess,” Cheryl sighed. “But I am _not_ going ghost hunting.” 

Toni smiled and brushed a piece of Cheryl’s hair behind her ear. “Did you bring the face masks?”

“Yes!” She shot up and rushed over to her suitcase, shuffling through her clothes to find her makeup bag. 

“Hey…” Toni eyed the door. “No one else is up here right?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Nothing,” she said, shaking off whatever was bothering her. 

“Found them!” Cheryl held up the bottles. 

Toni followed her out to the hallway, where they were met with silence. Not a single voice or sound from downstairs. 

“Did everyone go outside?”

Toni shrugged. “Maybe they’re looking for Betty and Archie.”

“Hm, must be,” Cheryl said, walking towards the bathroom. Suddenly she caught a whiff of something—she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Metallic, but also a mixture of must and dirt. But that was normal given the house was right on the lake. She just didn’t recall smelling it before, but she must’ve. 

“This is adorable.” Toni picked up the shell-shaped soap holder next to the sink. She turned around, eyeing the towel racks. “Aww! They have them on here, too.”

“What’s this?” Cheryl picked up a piece of paper that was next to the soap. “‘Enjoy your visit, Veronica. See you soon! XO.’ What, no ‘mija?’” 

“Mask, please.” 

Cheryl handed her one of the bottles, then observed her face in the mirror. “Ugh, my skin is so dry.”

“Do you need moisturizer?” 

“No, that’s okay. I brought some. I’ll be right back,” she said, leaving the mask on the sink and walking back out to the hallway. 

As she was about to enter the bedroom, that unfamiliar smell came back. Cheryl looked across the hallway to the closed door—another bedroom? She held her hand out over the knob without quite touching it. Maybe it was a linen closet and the smell was old, unwashed beach towels. The only thing holding her back was the words of a Ouija board, and Cheryl did not believe in ghosts.

She opened the door.

It was a closet—not for linen, but for what appeared to be storage. Lots of old, worn boxes stacked on top of each other. She left the door open, not because she was paranoid, but because she needed light to see. The smell did seem to be stronger in here, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Who knows what the Lodges, or anyone before them, left in here. There was a suitcase—a nice one, too—amongst the boxes, which Cheryl did find odd. 

Crouching down, she moved the zipper slightly then stopped. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting to find—a dead body, a collection of knives—but she was relieved to see nothing but household odds and ends. Cheryl opened the suitcase all the way, pushing the top back. An old oil lantern, a few used candles, and a picture frame turned over. Curiosity provoked her, so she picked it up.

It was Veronica. Veronica and some man she didn’t recognize. He looked about their age, maybe a little older, with light, slicked back hair and a rather large, hooked nose. Whoever he was looked nothing like Veronica, but he must’ve been family. 

Then she saw the small print in the corner. _Mr. and Mrs. Bains, May 2006._

Cheryl inhaled sharply. So it wasn’t Veronica, but a miraculous look-alike. And just so happened to occupy the same lake house before the Lodges. Suddenly the Ouija board spirit didn’t sound so crazy.

There was no reason to be alarmed. Veronica probably already knew. She had to know. Cheryl didn’t have to bring this up. She could go back to the bathroom and do face masks with Toni, enjoy the rest of her weekend, and none of this would ever matter.

She stood up, brushing the dust off her legs and heading back to the door. The floor board beneath her squeaked, but when she looked down her foot was not on the floor, but an old carpet. 

Cheryl didn’t turn around, but she glanced towards the back of the closet where the light couldn’t reach. She held her breath and kept going, closing the door behind her.

Toni smiled when she re-entered the bathroom, her face completely green. “Sorry, I was bored. I had to put it on.”

“Toni…”

Her face fell, taking Cheryl’s hand. “What is it? Are you okay?”

“I think there’s something else in this house,” she whispered.

“Like what? Did you see a ghost?” 

Cheryl shook her head, biting her lip to keep her voice from cracking. “I think it’s a person.”

As soon as she said it, she thought she heard a door open in the hallway.


	3. Gun to a Knife Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Betty, Archie, and Jughead back, the group finally put the pieces together. But when Reggie disappears, Veronica is determined to confront whoever has been watching them. They soon realize that there is more to the story than they originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So obviously the last part is a little longer than the previous chapters, because I wanted everyone to have a point of view and there was a lot to fit in.
> 
> Sometimes I thought this could be a longer story, but I almost wanted it to be like an episode of Riverdale, just a short incident.
> 
> I struggle writing things that are scary and suspenseful but I had a lot of fun with this story since it was sort of a mix of genres.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading!

**Betty**

The last person Betty was expecting to see back at the lake house, after searching half the night for him, was Jughead, and however irrational it was, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of frustration. She and Archie wandered aimlessly for hours only for him to not have gone anywhere at all. But that seemed secondary to what —or who—they found in the lake. 

“Thank God! We were about to go look for you guys,” Veronica said, pulling Betty into a hug. 

Betty almost couldn’t believe she was here, talking, breathing. Fortunately, Archie saved them from a shocking blow by washing the blood off of the body’s face. It wasn’t Veronica, but a woman who easily could’ve passed for her—something neither of them, nor Ricky Dee for that matter, could explain. For now, Betty was just happy to see her alive.

“Wait...what’s with the psycho murder kid?” Reggie asked.

Ricky Dee scowled.

“Long story,” Archie said, then nodded to Jughead. “Where have you been?”

“I was in the basement,” Jughead said.

“There’s a basement? Since when?” Betty said incredulously, but Veronica just shook her head. “Never mind. That’s not important. Archie and I found something—”

“Yeah, Joaquin’s little brother,” Sweet Pea said, who apparently just noticed he was here. He walked over to Ricky Dee, and the younger boy perked up.

“Sweet Pea? What are you doing here? And Fangs?” His smile was so genuine, it was almost enough to make Betty forget that he stuck a knife in. “Is anyone else here?”

“Toni’s inside. How you been, little guy?” Fangs said, resting a hand on Ricky Dee’s shoulder. Betty was glad to see that everyone else was just as confused as she was.

“Anyway….” Archie said, still fazed. “What Betty was about to say was we found a body in the lake.”

“ _ A body? _ ” Kevin and Gwen sounded just as excited as they did afraid. If Betty were to take a guess as to why, the Ouija game came immediately to mind.

“Whose?” Veronica asked.

Archie looked at Betty, but she was hesitant to answer, too. She wasn’t sure how Veronica would take the news of her unknown doppelganger's death.

“Some woman,” Betty said. “We don’t know who. But she…”

Veronica looked from Archie to Betty. “She what?”

“It was you, Veronica,” Archie said. “Or someone who looks almost exactly like you. We really thought…”

She closed her eyes, trying to process. “Wait…”

“What the hell?” Reggie interrupted. “There’s a dead girl out there who looks just like Ronnie?”

“I guess the spirit was right,” Gwen mumbled. 

“You forgot to mention that I found it,” Ricky Dee said.

Archie rolled his eyes.

“You guys should’ve told me,” Jughead said. “I could’ve brought my camera.”

“Not important,” Betty said, ignoring Jughead’s comment. “We don’t know who she is or what happened, but she was definitely murdered. There was blood everywhere, wounds…”

“I think I know who it is.”

Betty turned around. Cheryl stood with Toni by the screen door, paler than usual. The pair looked as though they really had seen a ghost.

“Where have you guys been?” Sweet Pea smirked, and Fangs hit his arm.

“You know something?” Archie asked. 

Cheryl nodded. “I saw something in the closet upstairs. A picture of this couple. The woman looked a lot like Veronica—they could be twins. I thought it was you at first,” she said, looking at Veronica. “But then I read the names on the bottom and it was taken over ten years ago, so she’d be older now. But she was with this man...I didn’t recognize him. Blonde hair, looked kind of European.”

“That can’t be a coincidence,” Reggie said, wrapping his arm around Veronica. 

“There’s something else…” Toni said, looking to Cheryl for approval.

“I heard something when I was in there.”

Veronica’s eyes widened. “Like what?”

“I’m not sure, but...I think it was a person,” Cheryl said. Toni squeezed her hand reassuringly. 

“Oh, God,” Gwen whispered.

“Wait...Cheryl, are you sure?” Betty said, foolishly hoping that asking again would change what she witnessed.

Cheryl nodded, avoiding everyone’s gaze. Betty felt her stomach drop—as if finding a dead body that looked exactly like her best friend wasn’t enough terror for the night. No one seemed to know what to say, or do for that matter. If there really was someone hiding inside, then it wasn’t too hard to figure out their motive. She knew they were all thinking the same thing—the body, the photograph, the person inside—it was all connected. 

“Well, what are we all standing here for?” Ricky Dee caught Betty off guard by grabbing the knife from her pocket and running for the door.

“Hey, kid!” Archie yelled, following him into the house. 

“Archie, what the hell?” Reggie was not far behind them.

“Reggie, wait!” Veronica yelled after him, but Betty grabbed her arm before she could make the same, thoughtless decision. 

“We can’t just all go in there and get ourselves killed,” she said. “We need a plan.”

“Screw plans. That kid could die in there,” Sweet Pea said. 

“That  _ kid _ is dangerous. For all we know, he’s involved in all this somehow,” Betty said.

Fangs laughed. “You think Ricky Dee is planning to kill everyone?”

“I’m just saying he’s not exactly innocent.”

“Can we stop arguing?” Kevin demanded. “There’s a killer in the house, and—”

The door burst open and everyone jumped. Ricky Dee emerged, unharmed, with Archie in tow. He stopped at the door, catching his breath. Betty sighed in relief. 

“No one in the closet!” Ricky Dee announced. “You can all go back to your stupid vacation.”

Veronica looked behind him and Archie expectantly. “Where is Reggie?”

“What do you mean?” Archie asked. “I thought he came back out here.”

“He was right behind you!” she yelled, storming up to the house and pushing past the two boys.

“V, wait!” Betty ran after her without a second thought. 

As she approached the door, she thought she caught a flicker of movement in one of the windows upstairs. 

* * *

**Cheryl**

Their plan was unspoken. It all happened naturally, the way they went their separate ways. There was no time for talking, not when Reggie was missing, and likely in mortal danger. Archie, Kevin, Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Gwen stayed outside, partially to keep an eye on Ricky Dee, but mostly to watch incase whoever was in the house tried to make an escape. Cheryl and Toni followed Betty into the house to help Veronica, and to stop her from doing anything impulsive. Apparently so did Jughead. 

Cheryl tried not to think about how, if they really were sharing a house with a killer, no one had a means of protecting themselves. They had no idea what they were up against—no idea who or where their uninvited visitor was, only that they were somewhere in the house. Reggie could be dead by now, but that wasn’t a concern she would vocalize in front of Veronica.

They were upstairs, Veronica tearing into every room. If she was afraid at all, she certainly didn’t look it. Cheryl was sure that if a bullet went through her head, she would continue to turn the house inside out. But she would do the same if Toni were in Reggie’s position.

“Okay, Veronica, this isn’t really practical,” Jughead said. “You’re going to get us all killed.”

“Shut up!” Veronica shouted at him, nearly ripping the bedroom door off its hinges.

“V…” Betty reached out and gently touched her arm. “We’ll find him, okay? I promise. But we have to be careful.”

“Why does it matter if they hear us or not?” Veronica’s voice cracked. “They already know we’re here.”

As if on cue, all the lights in the hallway turned out. Cheryl couldn’t fight the instinct to scream—so she did.

“Shh,” Toni said, taking her hand. 

“Yeah, that’s really helping, Cheryl,” Jughead said.

Cheryl glared at him, even though it served little purpose now when no one could see. She thought she heard Betty sigh. 

“Is everyone still here?” Betty asked, to which everyone responded in the affirmative. After a few seconds the flashlight on her phone lit up, and she shined it on everyone’s faces.

“A little aggressive, Betty,” Cheryl said, covering her eyes from the blinding light.

“Sorry.” She aimed it lower. 

Cheryl wasn’t sure if having the light was better or worse, but at least they knew they had the option.

Veronica broke away from everyone else, walking into the bathroom. “Betty, can we get the light in here?”

At the very least, they were five against one. That made her feel slightly better about being unarmed.

Approaching the bath, Veronica hesitated before pulling the curtain aside. Nothing. It almost felt futile searching the house. If this person really did take Reggie, then it seemed counterintuitive that they would hiding inside somewhere. But as far as any of them knew, no one left the house. She briefly entertained the thought that, for whatever sick reason, they wanted to be found—that Reggie was just bait. But she quickly dismissed it. 

“Hey, Veronica, your mom left you a note by the way,” Toni said, holding out the piece of paper. 

Veronica took it and read, her mouth parted slightly. 

“What?” Cheryl said, the look on her face making her uneasy.

“This isn’t my mom’s handwriting...This isn’t…”

Cheryl’s eyes widened, recalling what the note said.  _ See you soon. XO. _

“What does it say?” Jughead asked as Betty looked over Veronica’s shoulder, her hand covering her mouth. 

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

“Veronica, can I see that again?” Cheryl asked, and Veronica passed it to her, her face still frozen in the same expression.

As soon as Cheryl saw the handwriting, she dropped the note and walked out of the room. 

“Cheryl?” Toni went after her, and everyone else soon followed. She didn’t want to explain yet, not until she was sure.

She didn’t want to be sure.

Cheryl pushed open the closet door, pulling out her own phone to shine light on the room—the entire room this time. She found some relief in the fact that there was no one else inside, but that only meant they could be anywhere now.

She shined light on the area where the suitcase was earlier, but it wasn’t there anymore. 

“What are we looking for exactly?” Jughead asked. “What did the note say?”

“Shh!” she said, in unison with Toni, Betty, and Veronica. 

“It has to be here somewhere. I just saw it,” Cheryl said, frantically pointing her phone at every corner of the room. The closet was nothing but boxes now. The realization sank in her like a knife. “He took it.”

“He?” Veronica gave her a look of confusion.

“You don’t mean…” Betty seemed to be catching on.

“The note, the photograph, the dead body, the person in the closet...they’re all…” It made her sick even thinking about it.

Toni must’ve sensed her apprehension. “You think the man in that photo you saw is the one in this house?”

“Not just that,” Cheryl said. “I think he killed the woman you and Archie saw by the lake.” She looked from Betty to Veronica. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he has Reggie.”

“What, you think he’s going to kill him?” Jughead asked.

“I think he’s not after Reggie…” 

Betty seemed to connect all of Cheryl’s thoughts, because she came to the same conclusion. “He wants you, V.”

“Me?” Veronica’s eyes widened. “You think whoever this Bains guy is took Reggie so he could get to  _ me _ ?”

“You look just like the woman in the photo, the one who was killed in the woods,” Cheryl said. “His wife.”

“But what does he want with me?” 

Footsteps sounded from the hallway. No one so much as breathed as they came closer, grew louder, then eventually came to a stop not to far from the open door. All she could see was a shadow, long and still, projected on the floor with the light from Cheryl’s phone. 

“Would you like to ask me yourself, sweetheart?” 

* * *

**Veronica**

The sound of his low, gravelly voice sent shudders down the back of her neck. She had her back to the doorway, and she wasn’t about to turn around now. Judging by the expressions on Cheryl’s and Betty’s faces, she didn’t want to.

Betty reached out to grab her arm and pull Veronica behind her, as though that would make any difference now.

It was oddly quiet after he spoke. He was probably counting on Veronica to respond, but all she could think about now was Reggie, and what he could’ve done to him. She heard his breathing, and then a gargled cough. Veronica was glad she couldn’t see him, because she could only imagine what he was choking on.

“I see you found my note,” he said. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Something snapped in her and she stifled her fear, though he could probably still hear it. “Where is Reggie?”

Veronica turned around just as he took another step, coming into view. The light from their phones illuminated parts of his face and shadowed others, creating a terrifying image. His hair was almost as pale as his skin, but the most unsettling part of him was his icy eyes—not quite blue, and oddly translucent. It had to be the man Cheryl saw in the photograph. Bains, the man who killed his wife. 

He exhaled long and slow, staring at her so intensely her skin prickled. Then he did the last thing she was expecting—he smiled. 

“I’ve waited so long for this day,” Bains said. “And now it’s all going to be okay.”

Despite the biting fear, Veronica was more angry than anything else. “Look, I don’t know what your sick, twisted plan is with me, but tell me where Reggie is right now, or I will—”

While he was distracted, Jughead came out of nowhere with an old lamp pole he must’ve found and threw it down on Bains, but not before he caught it in his hand without so much as a flinch. Bains turned to Jughead, laughing to himself, then pushed the pole away, along with Jughead, with surprising force, so that he fell on his back. 

“I wouldn’t try that again. I’m not one for killing when it’s not necessary. It’s rather exhausting when you’ve already done it once.”

Veronica ignored that disturbing, and frankly psychotic comment. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just tell me where he is.”

“Of course, dear.” His voice crawled down her back. “Follow me.”

At first, she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly. She didn’t think it would be that easy to get him to do whatever she wanted, but it all must’ve been part of whatever perverted obsession he had with her. Of course, there was a part of her that worried Bains was taking her to her boyfriend’s dead body, that it was too late now. But she shook the thought away before allowing it to stop her.

Veronica looked back to the others. Jughead finally got back on his feet, and Betty, Cheryl, and Toni didn’t look too sure about this plan, but they followed her anyway. 

Suddenly she felt Bains’s cold hand in hers. Instinctively, she tried to rip her hand away, but when he smiled down at her, she realized it was in her best interest to obey—for now at least. The thought of it sickened Veronica, but if all he wanted was her, then she could use that to her advantage. 

Bains led the group outside, and Kevin was the first to see them. He looked from Veronica, to Bains, to their interlocked hands, then back to her, silently pleading for an explanation.

“It’s all going to be okay now,” Bains repeated, squeezing her hand. 

Veronica stared at Kevin, shaking her head as the others came over, unsure of how to react. 

“What’s wrong? She found Reggie. You can all shut up now,” Ricky Dee said, then added quietly to Sweet Pea, “Kind of old for her, though.”

“That’s not Reggie, kid,” Sweet Pea said. 

Bains ignored all of them, continuing to lead Veronica, and everyone else, down to the lake. Her heart was racing as she thought of every possibility. Maybe he wasn’t going to kill Reggie after all. Maybe he wanted to kill  _ her _ . He was pretending to lead her to Reggie when the next thing she knew her body would be sinking in the water. 

But then she saw him. 

From a distance, she saw him on a neighboring dock. Someone else was with him, a woman with raven hair. She was still too far, but she could’ve sworn…

“Reggie!” Veronica screamed, tearing herself away from Bains and running across the shore, kicking off her shoes in the process. She knew he wasn’t far behind her—she could still hear his breathing—but she didn’t turn around, and she didn’t stop. 

The wooden walkway splintered her feet, the pain shooting up her legs. Veronica kept running until she reached the dock. The woman’s back was to her and she stood over Reggie, his mouth covered and his hands tied. He met her eyes—scared and relieved at the same time. 

When the woman turned around, Veronica gasped. 

It was her. Aside from the dried blood and wounds all over her body, Veronica could’ve been looking into a mirror. None of it made sense now. The dead body Archie and Betty found—this had to be her. She was the woman Cheryl saw in the photograph. Bains’s wife. 

“I know you’re confused, my love,” Bains’s voice was in her ear. “It’s all part of the show.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, his nails digging into her skin. Then he looked at his wife. “Go ahead.”

The others weren’t far behind now, making their way up the walkway. Without so much as turning his head, Bains pulled a gun out from his coat and pointed it in their direction. That didn’t seem to stop them, so he repositioned the gun with the barrel on Veronica’s head. 

“Don’t worry. We’ll be together soon,” Bains whispered.

Mrs. Bains picked Reggie up by the arms and held him over the water. Looking at him—quiet, helpless, weak—Veronica broke into tears.

“Please don’t do this,” she said. “I’ll do whatever you want.”

“You don’t need to be afraid of me, Veronica.” His mouth was touching her ear now, with his gun in the other. “I know you love him. That’s why he has to go. And remember…” Veronica heard it click. “I love you most.”

She closed her eyes and held her breath as the gun fired, but she felt nothing. 

The sound echoed loudly in her ears. When she opened her eyes again she found Bains lying still below her, a knife buried in his back. She turned around to find Ricky Dee pulling himself out of the water. 

“Don’t bring a gun to a knife fight,” he said.

Mrs. Bains let go of Reggie, rushing over to her husband. Just as he was about to go under, Veronica grabbed hold of Reggie, pulling him back up into her arms and holding him close.

“I’ve got you.” She couldn’t hear her own words, but when she ripped the tape off his mouth, Reggie smiled. 

Even with the ringing in her ears, it wasn’t hard for her to make out what he said.

“I love you, too.”

* * *

**Archie**

Mrs. Bains disappeared with her husband’s dead body before anyone had time to process what was happening. But as long as he was dead, they didn’t have much else to worry about now. She was just as afraid of him as the rest of them were. 

Although they were planning to stay the entire weekend, Veronica wisely decided that one night was enough. After everything that happened in the past 24 hours, everyone was dying to go home. Archie even thought he heard Veronica talk to her mom on the phone about selling the house. He didn’t blame her.

With Bains and his dead-now-alive wife, still the most shocking thing to happen last night was Ricky Dee, the boy who stabbed him in the gut, playing hero. 

He never thought he would be so glad to see that kid with a weapon. 

“Will I see you at Pop’s again anytime soon?” Gwen asked, taking Sweet Pea by surprise as he threw his bag into the trunk of Cheryl’s car. 

“Yeah...Yeah, I’ll be there.”

She smiled. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

Archie didn’t think it was possible, but Sweet Pea blushed.

“This is the first and last time I go on a weekend getaway with you guys,” Fangs said.

Kevin scoffed. “You say that now.”

Fangs kissed him. “Just no Ouija board next time.”

“Are you kidding? I’m never touching one of those again.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Archie said, putting bags into the back of his truck. He heard footsteps next to him, then Betty’s voice.

“Need some help with that?”

“Well, since Reggie seems occupied.” He nodded back to the steps by the front door, where Reggie and Veronica were practically glued together. 

Betty laughed. “Come on! You don’t remember what that’s like?”

“What what’s like?”

“The first ‘I love you,’” she said.

Archie shrugged. “I guess.”

Betty passed him one of Kevin’s bags. “You know she told me she almost feels guilty.”

“About what?”

“Bains. It’s crazy, I know. I told her that. He was a psychopath, but I guess she felt bad that…”

“That he loved her and she didn’t?” Archie asked.

“Yeah, it’s insane. You can’t even call that love.” She glanced behind her and he followed her gaze to Jughead, but she quickly turned back to him. “There’s nothing to feel guilty about.”

“Excuse me, lovebirds. Ever heard of getting a room? Try it sometime,” Cheryl said, exiting the house hand in hand with Toni. Veronica and Reggie finally broke apart, laughing. 

“Want me to drive, babe?” Toni asked.

“Yeah, just get us out of here as fast as possible.” Cheryl put her sunglasses on and got in the car. Toni didn’t take her request lightly. The Serpents were gone in a matter of seconds.

“Has our chauffeur finished packing the car?” Veronica teased Archie, walking over with Reggie.

“Yours is all done. I’d listen to Cheryl and get out of here,” he said.

“I plan on it.” She turned around and stood on her toes to kiss Reggie. “I love you.”

“I love  _ you _ ,” Reggie said.

“You’re all going to make me barf,” Ricky Dee said.

Archie smirked. “I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“Well, you clearly all need someone to save your asses, so I thought I better stick around until you leave.”

“Sure…”

“See you at home?” Betty asked, standing by Veronica’s car. 

“Yeah…” Just as she opened the door, something came over him. “Betty, wait!”

She turned around. “What?”

“Do you want to go to Pop’s some time?”

“Of course! Always,” she said. “I’ll tell V and—”

“No,” he interrupted. “Sorry, I mean...do you want to go to Pop’s some time...just the two of us?”

Betty tilted her head. It took her a minute to understand what he was asking her, but then she smiled brightly. “Yeah. I’d like that a lot.”

“Great! It’s a date.” 

Archie always thought it would feel weird, using that word with Betty, but standing here now, nothing felt more right. 

“Great,” she repeated, and she was beaming even after she got in the car. 

“About time,” Ricky Dee said. “You really haven’t asked her out before?”

Archie rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

“Am I free to go now or will you need my assistance?” he asked, waving the knife—which was still covered in blood—in front of him.

“No, Ricky. You can put that away,” Archie said. “And maybe wash it.”

“Ricky  _ Dee _ .”

“You know you’re not fooling anyone.”

Ricky Dee lowered the knife. “What do you mean?”

“You could’ve left last night.” 

Before he turned around and got in the car with Reggie and Kevin, driving away without looking back, he thought he saw a smile on the kid’s face. 


End file.
